Not everyone knows who Sergei Radonezhsky is, his life and exploits. Briefly learn about this will help the ancient chronicles. According to them, the great miracle worker was born in early May 1314. It is also known when he died - September 25, 1392. You can learn about what Sergei Radonezhsky is famous for by studying his biography.
Sergei Radonezhsky: short biography:
According to ancient chronicles, the miracle worker became the founder of several monasteries. To this day, one of his most famous creations is known, the Holy Trinity Monastery, located near Moscow.
Sergei Radonezhsky, or as he was previously called Bartholomew, lagged behind his peers in the study of sciences. He was closer to the theme of the Holy Scriptures. At the age of fourteen, he and his family moved to live in Radonezh. There he founded the first church, called the Trinity-Sergius Monastery.
A few years later, the miracle worker decides to become abbot. Since then, he has been given a new name - Sergei. After that, he became a respected person among the people. They came to him so that he would bless before the battle and help in reconciliation.
In addition to the Trinity-Sergius, he created more than five churches. Sergey of Radonezh died on September 25, 1392. Still Orthodox people celebrate this date as the day of memory of the great miracle worker.
Some interesting facts
Several interesting facts about Sergei Radonezh are known:
- Being pregnant, the miracle worker's mother went to the temple. While praying, her baby in the womb cried out three times. Each time, the volume of the crying increased;
- According to sources, Sergei of Radonezh helped the monks. They were forced to travel long distances for water. The monk found a few drops left from the rain and said a prayer over them. After a while, a source of water appeared;
- The miracle worker also helped ordinary people. A local resident turned to him with a request to save his sick son. The boy died after he was brought to Sergei Radonezhsky. But while his father walked behind the coffin, he incredibly came to life;
- The monk unfailingly helped every person who needed his support. It is known that he healed a possessed nobleman, treated the sick for insomnia and blindness;
- The miracle worker provided assistance in reconciliation and salvation from debts.
On this occasion, Patriarch Kirill gave an interview in 2014. According to him, Sergei Radonezhsky had extraordinary abilities. He could influence the laws of nature and bring man closer to God. The historian Klyuchevsky stated that the miracle worker was able to raise the spirit of the people.
Life of Sergei Radonezh
50 years after the death of the founder of successful temples, a life was written. The story of the great miracle worker was written by his disciple Epiphanius the Wise. She aroused the interest of the people, and a few years later she received the status of a valuable source of Muscovite Rus'.
The first life was written based on Epiphany's own writings. The student was highly developed and educated. From the publication, it is easy to guess that he loved to travel and visited places such as Jerusalem and Constantinople. He was forced to live with his mentors for several years. Sergei Radonezhsky singled out his student for an unusual mindset.
By 1380, Epiphanius had already become an experienced chronicler with excellent literacy.
After the death of the miracle worker, the student began to write Interesting Facts about it and convey it to people. He did this for several reasons. Above all, he respected the work of his mentor. He was offended that after so many years after his death, not a single story was published about him. The initiative to write the life of Epiphany took over.
The wise student also believed that his stories would help convey to people the value of life, learn to believe in themselves and cope with difficulties.
Where are the relics of the Saint now?
30 years after the death of Sergei Radonezh, namely, in 1422, his relics were found. This event took place under the leadership of Pachomius Lagofet. According to him, despite such a long period, the body of the miracle worker was preserved whole and bright. Even his clothes remained intact. His relics were moved only twice, in order to preserve them and save them from the fire.
This happened for the first time in 1709, and then repeated in 1746. The third and last time the relics were transported in 1812 during the war with Napoleon.
The re-opening of the grave took place in 1919, by order of the Soviet government. This was done in the presence of a state commission. According to Pavel Florensky, the man in whom the autopsy took place, the head of Sergei Radonezhsky was separated from the body and replaced with a head that belonged to Prince Trubetskoy.
The relics of the miracle worker became an exhibit for the museum and are located at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
Sergei Radonezhsky and painting
During the life of Sergei Radonezh, and for several centuries after his death, a ban on art was introduced. It could be given to the people only in the form of icons. For the first time Russian painting appeared only in the 18th century.
The artist Nesterov managed to depict the image of the miracle worker. In 1889 he completed his painting titled Motherwort. Sergei Radonezhsky was an idol for the artist from an early age. The saint was revered by his relatives, for them he was an image of purity and purity. Adult Nesterov created a cycle of paintings dedicated to the great miracle worker.
Thanks to paintings, lives and chronicles, each modern man can learn about who Sergei Radonezhsky was, his life and exploits. It is impossible to briefly study his life. He was absolutely a unique person who have a pure soul, sincerity and disinterestedness, aimed at helping other people.
To this day, people visit churches, pray before the icon of Sergei Radonezh and his relics. Each person sincerely believes that he will help them resolve a difficult situation in life.
Video about the Holy Wonderworker
In this video, Father Michael will tell about the life and exploits of Sergei Radonezhsky:
In 2014, the anniversary of St. Sergius of Radonezh will be widely celebrated in Russia - an event of national importance.
There are several different dates of his birth in the literature. In the writings of the 19th century, the date appeared May 3, 1319. It has been suggested that Sergius was born either in 1315 or in 1318. Sergius's birthday was either May 9 or August 25, 1322. The Russian Church traditionally considers his birthday to be May 3, 1314.
“The year of the birth of the lad Bartholomew is lost (from 1314 to 1322). The time of the departure of St. Sergius is known exactly - twelve years after Kulikovo ”(V. G. Rasputin).
There were three sons in the family: Stefan - the eldest, Sergius - the middle one and the youngest - Peter. In the place where their house stood, now is the Trinity-Sergius Varnitsky Monastery, founded in 1427 after Sergius was canonized. There is, however, a version that the monastery stands on the site of the appearance of an angel in the form of a monk to Bartholomew. Despite the fact that Bartholomew's parents were "noble boyars", they led a simple peasant lifestyle.
“God chose him for His service from the womb of his mother. For she went, being pregnant, as usual, to the church for the holy liturgy, and when they began to read the Holy Gospel, the baby in the womb cried out, and all those standing near her heard the cry. Also during the Cherubic Hymn he cried out a second time. And when the priest proclaimed: "Holy to the Holy," for the third time the voice of the baby was heard from the womb. And everyone understood that he would be a great lamp to the world and would appear as a servant of the Holy Trinity ”(Life reverend father Sergius, hegumen of Radonezh, the new miracle worker).
Bartholomew was a diligent child, but when he was sent to learn to read and write, it turned out that studying was extremely difficult for him.
So it was until one day Bartholomew met in the forest a monk "holy and wonderful, with the dignity of a presbyter, handsome and like an angel, who stood in the field under an oak tree and prayed earnestly, with tears." The boy waited for him to finish the prayer and the elder turned to him, “What are you looking for and what do you want, child?”
Bartholomew told the monk about his failures in his studies. After praying, the elder took out the reliquary from his bosom and took a particle of prosphora from it, blessed it and ordered it to be eaten, saying: “This is given to you as a sign of God’s grace and understanding Holy Scripture... about literacy, child, do not grieve: know that from now on the Lord will grant you good knowledge letters, more than your brothers and peers.
Bartholomew invited the elder to his parents, they told about the signs preceding the birth of his son, and the monk predicted: “Your son will be the abode of the Holy Trinity and will lead many after him to an understanding of the Divine commandments.”
Some time later, the whole family was forced to move to the town of Radonezh. It should be noted that the name Radonezh comes from the same root as the holiday of honoring parents - Radonitsa. And on the Saturday preceding the Day of the Holy Trinity, the dead are commemorated. Thus, it is clearly seen that the name of Sergius of Radonezh is closely connected with family values.
After the death of their parents, Bartholomew and his older brother Stefan went to the desert on the banks of the Konchura River, on the Makovets hill in the middle of the deaf Radonezh forest, where they built a small wooden church in the name of the Holy Trinity (this happened in 1337), on the site of which the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra.
A year later, Stefan, unable to withstand the harsh life, went to Moscow, where he entered Epiphany Monastery and became close to a monk named Alexis. Stefan told him about his brother. 
Alexy was surprised how the future ascetic and not a monk. Soon, a certain hegumen Mitrofan came to Bartholomew and tonsured him under the name Sergius, since then it was the day of memory of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus.
Sergius was left alone. There is a legend that it was then that the future saint tamed a bear, sharing a piece of bread with him. Later, people began to come to Sergius and ask to stay with him. Thus the monastery was formed. Sergius lived from his work and taught others in the same way; asking for alms was forbidden.
A new church was built, the number of monks grew, but the monastery still remained strict and poor. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexy, the future saint established a communal charter, which was later adopted in many Russian monasteries.
The Trinity-Sergius monastery expanded and grew richer. Sergius was in agreement and friendship with Metropolitan Alexy.
According to his spiritual aspiration, Radonezhsky was a hermit, he loved silence and solitude. Soon, Sergius left the Trinity monastery in order to found a new one - near Kirzhach. This is how the Kirzhach monastery appeared. Then the dormitory Spassky Monastery was founded in Moscow, where the disciple of Sergius, Andronik, became hegumen.
Pupils of Sergius of Radonezh gradually dispersed throughout the Russian land and built more and more new monasteries, which were patronized at that time by the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. In fact, the formation of holy Rus' took place.
At the same time, the Horde was gathering strength. The decisive battle was near. Saint Sergius was not an adherent of bloodshed. Before blessing Dmitry, he asked if all possible peaceful ways had been exhausted and, only having heard a positive answer, gave a blessing, in one of the sources - sending him a letter and prosphora, in another - it was not at all about the Battle of Kulikovo, but about a small battle , and only later this blessing was tied to a larger one - Kulikovo. Sergius wished the Russians victory.
By his deeds, Sergius of Radonezh contributed to the main thing - the unification of Rus', the formation of a single nation. In one of the books about the Saint it is well said: "... Kostroma, Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Pskov came to Kulikovo field, and the Russians left."
Sergius of Radonezh did not leave behind any writings or teachings. The very life of the Saint is an example for us. He did not strive for recognition, for power, he refused church degrees and only with the strongest pressure of his students accepted honors as God's will. Sergius strove for self-improvement and made those around him better.
The most detailed information about the life and deeds of Sergius of Radonezh, dear readers, you can learn from the books located in the Central Library. A. S. Pushkin. Some of them are presented at the book exhibition, functioning on the youth subscription.
The name of Sergius of Radonezh and short biography reverend are familiar not only to believers, but also to lovers of history. Researchers have different attitudes to the miracles performed by the saint during life and after death, recognizing or denying the presence of a divine gift in him. But with the fact that this wisest man made a huge contribution to the unification of Russian lands, the development of culture and the strengthening of the position of Orthodoxy in Rus', all scientists agree.
Birth and childhood
The main source of information about the biography of Sergius of Radonezh is the work of Epiphanius the Wise, a disciple of the venerable elder. The exact information about the year in which Sergius was born is not presented in the Life. Researchers, based on the work of Epiphanius, give the following dates: 1314, 1319, 1322.
It is known that the baby was born into a noble family living near Rostov, presumably in the village of Varnitsy. At baptism, the child was given the name Bartholomew. His parents, Cyril and Maria, were believers and often took their son with them to church or to church services.
At the age of seven, the boy was sent to school. Unlike his brothers, the elder Stefan and the younger Peter, studies were difficult for him. Bartholomew performed the tasks of teachers slowly and could not master the letter in any way. Parents and teachers tried to influence him, but their attempts were unsuccessful. Only thanks to patience, diligence and work, the boy not only learned to read, but also succeeded very much in this. With great interest, he began to study the Holy Scriptures..
There is another version of how the child, who initially did not show a talent for reading, managed to master the letter in a short time. One day, his father sent Bartholomew to look for horses lost in the field. Fulfilling the assignment, the boy accidentally saw a wanderer dressed in a black robe, diligently praying to the Lord.
The child, trustingly telling the elder that he wanted to learn to read, but could not master this science, asked the stranger to turn to God to help him in learning to read and write. The holy elder fulfilled the boy's request and predicted that now he would study better than his brothers and other peers. And so it happened.
To the surprise of his parents, Bartholomew began to read the psalms with ease, which he had never been able to do before. The mysterious old man told the boy's parents that their son was chosen by God and he is destined to help many people understand the commandments of God.
Closer to the age of twelve, Bartholomew accomplished his first spiritual feat. He began to strictly observe the church fast. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the boy refused to eat at all. Often he did not sleep at night, spending time in prayer. The mother did not like this behavior of her son, but she could not influence him.
Stories about the miraculous learning to read and write and the strict observance of fasting by young Sergius of Radonezh are described by Epiphanius in the Life. Other information and facts about the childhood and adolescence of the saint are unknown.
monastic vows
In 1328 (in other sources there are 1330, 1334 and 1341), the family moved to live in the city of Radonezh. After the death of his parents, Bartholomew makes a fateful decision. He leaves his part of the inheritance to Peter and goes to the Pokrovsky Khotkovsky Monastery, where his older brother was already.
After some time, he persuades Stefan to go with him to a desert residence. In the "Life" there is information that the brothers, after a long search, found a suitable place in the thicket of the forest, where there was a source of drinking water. There they built a cell, and then a small church, which they consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity.
Stefan soon realized that the life of a lonely hermit, full of hardships and difficulties, did not suit him. He leaves his brother and settles in the Epiphany Monastery. Later he was ordained a priest and became hegumen.
Bartholomew liked the desert life. He takes tonsure and is named Sergius. After some time, other monks begin to settle next to him, who later became his students. Their number gradually increased.
Abbess and foundation of monasteries
In 1354, Sergius became abbot of the monastery he founded and began to establish his own rules there. He introduces the rule that all monks had to work hard and provide for themselves. It was forbidden to beg.
Things didn't always go well. It happened that the monks did not have enough food. Sergius, by his example, showed how to endure all difficulties steadfastly, spending time in work and prayers. The situation changed when Radonezh became the patrimony of Prince Vladimir Andreevich. Since then, the monastery has been regularly supplied with food.
Sergius introduces a hostel in the monastery instead of the usual solitary confinement. Now the monks received everything they needed (food, clothing, etc.) from the monastery, but they were deprived of personal property and property rights. Many disagreed with the new rules. Because of the conflicts that arose, Sergius temporarily settled on the Kirzhach River, where he founded the monastery now known as the Annunciation.
In total, the monk founded five monasteries. Among them, in addition to the Trinity and Annunciation monasteries, include:
- Staro-Golutvin (near Kolomna);
- Vysotsky;
- Georgievsky (on the Klyazma).
Sergius appointed his disciples as abbots in the monasteries. Those, in turn, founded about forty monasteries.
Actions for the good of the fatherland
Sergius had an amazing ability to have a fruitful influence on other people. With his quiet, calm voice, he could soften the most cruel heart. There is evidence that he repeatedly reconciled the warring princes and urged them to submit to Moscow. The fact that during the Battle of Kulikovo almost all the princes united and recognized the supremacy of Dmitry Ioannovich, there is a great merit of Sergius.
Before the famous battle with Mamai, which is included in all history books, Prince Dmitry, later called Donskoy, met with the elder and received his blessing. However, there is an opinion among researchers that this episode refers to the battle on the Vozha River, and not to the Kulikovo battle.
There is evidence that Sergius also blessed two monks who volunteered to fight Mamai's army, although there was a strict church ban on the participation of monks in battles. These volunteers were two representatives of the boyar family, trained in military affairs - Alexander Peresvet and Roman (Rodion) Oslyabya.
Death and burial
Sergius left this world in 1392. The old man foresaw his death. Six months before this event, he handed over the hegumenship to his disciple Nikon, and immediately before his death, he gathered all the brethren and instructed them to remain in the Orthodox faith, preserve the purity of their souls and have the fear of God above all else.
Sergius asked to be buried in the monastery cemetery. But with the consent of Metropolitan Kupriyan, he was buried in the church. This decision was dictated by special respect for the wise old man.
They began to venerate Sergius as a saint even before the canonization rules were created. Some sources contain information that he was canonized in 1452. There are researchers who believe that this was done for political reasons. Others (M.Grek) even doubt the holiness of Sergius. But people's love, recognition and respect have little to do with scholarly battles.
Personalities of this magnitude, who, according to Klyuchevsky, "stepped out of the boundaries of time", history knows not so much. This is how one can briefly describe the life of Sergius of Radonezh and his exploits (prayer, hermitage, strict fasting).
Visions and miracles
He often appeared to people in dreams and visions, predicting important events or helping to cope with the enemy, after his death, Sergius of Radonezh. We briefly describe some of these events:
- A small town located near Pskov was besieged by the Lithuanian army. The inhabitants courageously defended themselves, throwing large trees and stones from high walls onto the enemy army. But the supply of "shells" was coming to an end. The only thing left was to trust in God. It was then that Sergius appeared to a simple townswoman in a dream and pointed out that there were many stones behind the altar of the local church. She told her dream to the governors, but they did not believe her. And only the beggar, who accidentally overheard the conversation, went to the church and, having dug up the ground, found huge boulders. The city was saved.
- Sergius appeared in a dream to the rector of the Trinity monastery, Irinarkh, and said that the enemies were going to destroy the monastery at night, after which he sprinkled the monastery with holy water. After waking up, Irinarkh conveyed the received message to the monks. Having prepared for a meeting with ill-wishers, they were able to prevent an attempted robbery.
- The Life contains information that many residents of Kazan, which at that time belonged to the Tatars, saw Sergius, who walked along the walls of the city, overshadowed it with a cross and sprinkled it with holy water. The local sages interpreted this vision as bad sign, foreshadowing the conquest of Tatar lands by Russia and the establishment Christian faith. Soon Kazan was conquered by Ivan Vasilyevich, and numerous temples were erected on its territory, including a monastery St. Sergius.
Epiphanius also describes the miracles performed by the saint himself during his lifetime. Most of them concern the healing of the sick, there is even a case of the resurrection of the son of the righteous from the dead.
The elder himself denied the fact of the youth’s resurrection, explaining it by completely natural reasons: the frozen teenager simply warmed up in a warm cell and came to his senses. But the boy's father was sure that a real miracle had happened.
Researchers adhering to materialistic views (for example, the historian V. Klyuchevsky) believed that there were no events in the life of Sergius that contradicted the laws of nature. Others, on the contrary, believed that the elder really had unusual abilities.
In 2014, Patriarch Kirill, as if generalizing opposing points of view, said that the main miracle of St. Sergius of Radonezh was himself, meaning the transformation and spiritual perfection of the individual.
saint's day of remembrance
The Orthodox Church commemorates the monk (the day of death) and July 18 (uncovering of the relics). On the same days, the name day of men baptized in honor of the saint is celebrated. But there are other dates on which the elder is commemorated:
- June 5;
- July 6;
- July 19;
- 8 September.
Prayers to the Reverend Elder
Sergius is considered the patron saint of all students. Students often pray before the icon of the saint, hoping to pass their exams successfully. Many argue that the miracle worker helps even in the most hopeless situations.
Priest Sergiy Yakushkin describes an interesting incident that happened to him in 1997. He did not have time to prepare for the spring session at the Moscow Theological Seminary. Following the unspoken rule adopted among students, a correspondence student kissed the cancer of St. Sergius of Radonezh, prayed to his heavenly patron and went to the exam. According to the priest, only a miracle could help him.
Taking the ticket, he sat down and read the questions. Suddenly, a clear, precise and detailed plan of response appeared in his head. The priest could easily remember not only the sequence of the service, but also the texts of the hymns. It was a complete surprise that he was able to answer even additional questions that were not in the program. The exam was brilliantly passed.
A few days later, S. Yakushkin wanted to impress his colleagues with how well he knew the service by heart, but he did not remember the necessary words. The clarity of the subject that was in the exam is gone. The priest confesses that if he had been told that everything that happened was just a dream, he would have believed it. But all this actually happened. What is this, if not another miracle of Sergius of Radonezh, who, even after death, helps people in good undertakings and spiritual improvement.
Attention, only TODAY!
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The most glorious miracle worker and wonderful intercessor, Rev. Sergius of Radonezh The reverend Sergius, hegumen of Radonezh, the miracle worker was born on May 3, 1314 in the village of Varnitsy, near Rostov, into a noble and pious family. His parents Cyril and Maria were noble boyars. They named the born son Bartholomew. The baby surprised everyone by keeping the fast. On Wednesdays and Fridays, he refused his mother's milk, as well as on other days. When the mother ate meat. At the age of seven, Bartholomew, along with his brothers Stefan and Peter, were sent to learn to read and write. The teaching was given to Bartholomew with great difficulty. The boy prayed to God "for the gift of book understanding to him," and one day an angel appeared to him in the form of an old monk. The elder, at the request of the boy, offered up a prayer to the Lord and blessed the lad, since then Bartholomew easily read and understood what was written.
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After the death of their parents, Bartholomew and Stefan retired twelve miles from Radonezh to the forest, where they set up a cell, and then a small church in the name of the Most Holy Life-Giving Trinity. Stefan could not stand the difficulties of hermitage and moved to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery, and Bartholomew took monastic tonsure on October 7, 1337 with the name Sergius and laid the foundation for a new hermitage to the glory of the Life-Giving Trinity. With even greater zeal, he devoted himself to the feat of fasting and prayer. Soon the cherished desire of the young man was fulfilled - hegumen of one of the nearby monasteries Mitrofan tonsured him into monasticism. St. Sergius of Radonezh did not spend a single hour in idleness. Wisely combining prayer and work, psalmody and reading of divine books, he ascended from strength to strength, every day of his life drawing closer to Christ. The only desire of St. Sergius of Radonezh was the salvation of his own soul. He wanted to live and die in his forest retreat. Soon, people began to settle around St. Sergius, who wanted to be saved under his leadership. At the insistent desire of the disciples, Sergius of Radonezh becomes a priest and abbot of the monastery he founded. Humility, patience, love for God and neighbor made the Reverend a great intercessor and mourner for the Russian land even during his earthly life.
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VICTORIES OVER DEMONS AND THE TAME OF ANIMALS St. Sergius appears to many as a blessed elder, whose holiness was felt by the wild beasts who came to “touch” her. However, in reality, Sergius went into the forest as a young man around the age of twenty. During the first time of his seclusion, he constantly struggled with demonic temptations, defeating them with fervent prayer. The demons tried to drive him out of the forest, threatening him with an attack by wild animals and a painful death. The saint remained adamant, called on God, and thus was saved. He also prayed when wild animals appeared, and therefore they never attacked him. With the bear, so often depicted next to Sergius, the saint shared his every meal, and sometimes gave it to the hungry animal. “Let no one be surprised at this, knowing truly that if God lives in a person and the Holy Spirit rests on him, then all creation submits to him,” says the life of this saint.
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2. BLESSING THE MONKS FOR THE WAR This event is one of the most famous and most unexpected in the history of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. Everyone knows that monks and weapons, and even more so war, are “two incompatible things,” but, like any overly broad rule, this rule was once refuted by life. Two monks, later canonized as saints, with weapons in their hands, went to the Battle of Kulikovo with the blessing of St. Sergius. In single combat before the battle, one of them, Alexander Peresvet, defeated the Tatar hero Chelubey, and this determined the victory of the Russian army. Peresvet died at the same time. The second monk, tonsured Andrei (Oslyabya), according to legend, changed into the armor of Prince Dmitry, who was slain in battle, and thus led the army. It is surprising that Sergius of Radonezh himself “sent” Peresvet and Oslyabya to the great battle to help Prince Dmitry, who asked the saint only for spiritual help. Before the battle, he tonsured the monks into the great schema.
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3. PRESENT COMMUNICATION The evidence of how St. Sergius of Radonezh took communion was hidden from people until his very dormition. This secret was kept by Simon, a disciple of the saint, who had a vision during the communion of Sergius of Radonezh at the liturgy. Simon saw fire walking on the holy altar, illuminating the altar and surrounding the Holy Meal on all sides. “When the Reverend wanted to take communion, the Divine fire twisted like a kind of veil, and entered the holy chalice, and the Reverend took communion with it. Seeing all this, Simon was filled with horror and trembling and was silent, marveling at the miracle…” The monk realized from the face of his disciple that he had been granted a miraculous vision, and Simon confirmed this. Then Sergius of Radonezh asked him not to tell anyone about what he saw until the Lord took him.
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4. RESURRECTION OF A BOY The life of St. Sergius tells that he once resurrected a man with his prayers. It was a boy whose father, a devout believer, carried his sick son through the frost so that St. Sergius would heal him. The faith of that person was strong, and he walked with the thought: “If only I could bring my son alive to the man of God, and there the child will definitely recover.” But from the severe frost and the long journey, the sick child became completely weak and died on the way. Having reached St. Sergius, the inconsolable father said: “Woe to me! Oh, god man! With my misfortune and tears, I hurried to get to you, believing and hoping to receive consolation, but instead of consolation, I got only even greater sorrow. It would be better for me if my son died at home. Woe to me, woe! What to do now? What could be worse and more terrible than this? Then he left the cell to prepare a coffin for his child. Sergius of Radonezh prayed for a long time on his knees at the deceased, and suddenly the child suddenly came to life and stirred, his soul returned to the body. To the returning father, the saint said that the child had not died, but was only exhausted from the frost, and now, in warmth, it warmed up. This miracle became known from the words of the disciple of the saint.
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5. THE FEAT OF MODESTY St. Sergius of Radonezh could have become a metropolitan, a bishop, but he refused to become even the abbot of his monastery. He asked the Metropolitan of All Rus' Alexy to appoint an abbot to the monastery, and, having heard his name in response, he did not agree, saying: "I am not worthy." Only when the metropolitan reminded the saint of monastic obedience did he answer: “As the Lord pleases, so be it. Blessed be the Lord forever!” However, when Alexy was dying and offered Sergius to become his successor, he refused. The saint repeated his refusal even after the death of the metropolitan, all with the same words: "I am not worthy."
According to ancient legend, the estate of the parents of Sergius of Radonezh, the boyars of Rostov, was located in the vicinity of Rostov the Great, on the way to Yaroslavl. Parents, "noble boyars", apparently, lived simply, they were quiet, calm people, with a strong and serious way of life.
St. Venerable Cyril and Maria. Painting of the Ascension Church on Grodka (Pavlov-Posad) Parents of Sergius of Radonezh
Although Kirill accompanied the princes of Rostov to the Horde more than once, as a trusted, close person, he himself did not live well. It is impossible to speak of any luxury, licentiousness of the later landowner. Rather, on the contrary, one might think that domestic life is closer to that of a peasant: as a boy, Sergius (and then Bartholomew) was sent for horses in the field. This means that he knew how to confuse them and turn them around. And leading to some stump, grabbing the bangs, jump up, triumphantly trot home. Perhaps he chased them at night too. And, of course, he was not a barchuk.
Parents can be imagined as respectable and fair people, religious to a high degree. They helped the poor and willingly accepted wanderers.
On May 3, a son was born to Mary. The priest gave him the name of Bartholomew, after the day of the celebration of this saint. The special shade that distinguishes him lies on the child from early childhood.
Bartholomew was given seven years to study literacy, to a church school, together with his brother Stefan. Stefan studied well. Science was not given to Bartholomew. Like Sergius later, little Bartholomew is very stubborn and tries, but there is no success. He is distressed. The teacher sometimes punishes him. Comrades laugh and parents admonish. Bartholomew cries alone, but does not move forward.
And now, a village picture, so close and so understandable six hundred years later! The foals wandered somewhere and disappeared. Father sent Bartholomew to look for them, probably the boy had wandered like this more than once, through the fields, in the forest, perhaps by the shore of Lake Rostov and called them, patted them with a whip, dragged halters. With all the love of Bartholomew for loneliness, nature, and for all his daydreaming, he, of course, conscientiously performed every task - this feature marked his whole life.
Sergius of Radonezh. Miracle
Now he - very dejected by failures - found not what he was looking for. Under an oak tree, I met "an elder of the Black Sea, with the rank of presbyter." Obviously, the old man understood him.
What do you want, boy?
Bartholomew, through tears, spoke about his grief and asked to pray that God would help him overcome the letter.
And under the same oak stood the old man for prayer. Next to him is Bartholomew - a halter over his shoulder. Having finished, the stranger took out the ark from his bosom, took a particle of prosphora, blessed Bartholomew with it and ordered him to eat it.
This is given to you as a token of grace and for the understanding of Holy Scripture. From now on, you will master literacy better than brothers and comrades.
What they talked about next, we do not know. But Bartholomew invited the elder home. His parents received him well, as usual wanderers. The elder called the boy to the prayer room and ordered him to read the psalms. The child responded with incompetence. But the visitor himself gave the book, repeating the order.
And the guest was fed, at dinner they told about the signs over his son. The elder again confirmed that now Bartholomew would begin to understand Holy Scripture well and would overcome reading.
[After the death of his parents, Bartholomew himself went to the Khotkovo-Pokrovsky Monastery, where his widowed brother Stefan was already monastic. Striving for "the strictest monasticism", for desert living, he did not stay here for long and, having convinced Stefan, together with him founded the desert on the banks of the Konchura River, on Makovets hill in the middle of the deaf Radonezh forest, where he built (about 1335) a small wooden church in the name of Holy Trinity, on the site of which there is now a cathedral church also in the name of the Holy Trinity.
Unable to withstand a too harsh and ascetic lifestyle, Stefan soon left for the Moscow Epiphany Monastery, where he later became abbot. Bartholomew, left all alone, called for a certain hegumen Mitrofan and received tonsure from him under the name of Sergius, since on that day the memory of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus was celebrated. He was 23 years old.]
Having performed the rite of tonsure, Mitrofan introduced Sergius of Radonezh to St. Secrets. Sergius spent seven days without going out in his “church”, praying, “tasting” nothing, except for the prosphora that Mitrofan gave. And when the time came for Mitrofan to leave, he asked his blessings for the desert life.
The abbot supported him and reassured him as much as he could. And the young monk was left alone among his gloomy forests.
Images of beasts and vile reptiles arose before him. They rushed at him with a whistle, gnashing of teeth. One night, according to the story of the monk, when in his “church” he “sang Matins,” Satan himself suddenly entered through the wall, with him a whole “regiment of demons.” They chased him away, threatened, attacked. He prayed. (“Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered…”) The demons disappeared.
Will he survive in a formidable forest, in a wretched cell? The autumn and winter blizzards on his Makovice must have been terrible! After all, Stefan could not stand it. But Sergius is not like that. He is stubborn, patient, and he is "loving God."
So he lived, all alone, for some time.
Sergius of Radonezh. hand bear
Sergius once saw a huge bear near the cells, weak from hunger. And regretted it. He brought a loaf of bread from the cell, gave it - from his childhood, after all, he was, like his parents, "strangely acceptable." The furry wanderer ate peacefully. Then I started visiting him. Sergius always served. And the bear became tame.
Youth of St. Sergius (Sergius of Radonezh). Nesterov M.V.
But no matter how lonely the monk was at that time, there were rumors about his hermitage. And now people began to appear, asking to be taken to them, to be saved together. Sergius responded. He pointed to the difficulty of life, the hardships associated with it. Stefan's example was still alive for him. Still, he gave in. And took a few...
Twelve cells were built. They surrounded it with a tyn to protect it from animals. The cells stood under huge pines and firs. The stumps of freshly felled trees stuck out. Between them, the brethren planted their modest garden. They lived quietly and harshly.
Sergius of Radonezh set an example in everything. He himself cut cells, dragged logs, carried water in two water carriers uphill, ground with hand millstones, baked bread, cooked food, cut and sewed clothes. And he must have been a good carpenter by now. In summer and winter he walked in the same clothes, neither frost took him, nor heat. Bodily, despite the meager food, he was very strong, "had strength against two people."
He was the first in the service.
Works of St. Sergius (Sergius of Radonezh). Nesterov M.V.
So the years went by. The community lived unquestionably under Sergius. The monastery grew, became more complex and had to take shape. The brethren wanted Sergius to become abbot. And he refused.
The desire to be abbess, - he said, - is the beginning and root of the love of power.
But the brethren persisted. Several times the elders “approached” him, persuaded him, persuaded him. After all, Sergius himself founded the hermitage, he himself built the church; who should be abbot, celebrate the liturgy.
The insistence turned almost into threats: the brethren declared that if there was no abbot, everyone would disperse. Then Sergius, spending his usual sense of proportion, yielded, but also relatively.
I wish, - said, - it is better to study than to teach; it is better to obey than to rule; but I fear the judgment of God; I do not know what is pleasing to God; the holy will of the Lord be done!
And he decided not to argue - to transfer the matter to the discretion of the church authorities.
Father, they brought a lot of loaves, bless them to accept. Here, according to your holy prayers, they are at the gate.
Sergius blessed, and several wagons loaded with baked bread, fish and various food entered the monastery gates. Sergius rejoiced and said:
Well, you hungry ones, feed our breadwinners, invite them to share a common meal with us.
He ordered to hit the beater, everyone to go to church, serve a thanksgiving service. And only after the prayer he blessed to sit down for a meal. The loaves turned out to be warm, soft, as if they had just come out of the oven.
Trinity-Sergius Lavra (Sergius of Radonezh). Lisner E.
The monastery did not need now, as before. And Sergius was still just as simple - poor, poor and indifferent to the benefits, as he remained until his death. Neither power nor various "differences" occupied him at all. A quiet voice, quiet movements, the face of the deceased, the holy Great Russian carpenter. In it are our rye and cornflowers, birch trees and mirrored waters, swallows and crosses and the incomparable fragrance of Russia. Everything is raised to the utmost lightness, purity.
Many came from afar just to look at the reverend. This is the time when the "old man" is heard throughout Russia, when he approaches Met. Alexy, settles disputes, performs a grandiose mission to spread monasteries.
The monk wanted a stricter order, closer to the early Christian community. All are equal and all are poor equally. Nobody has anything. The monastery lives in a community.
The activity of Sergius was expanded and complicated by innovation. It was necessary to build new buildings - a refectory, a bakery, pantries, barns, housekeeping, etc. Previously, his leadership was only spiritual - the monks went to him as a confessor, for confession, for support and guidance.
All able to work had to work. Private property is strictly prohibited.
In order to manage the more complex community, Sergius chose his assistants and distributed duties among them. The first person after the abbot was considered the cellar. This position was first established in Russian monasteries by Fr. Theodosius of the Caves. Kelar was in charge of the treasury, deanery and economy - not only inside the monastery. When the estates appeared, he was also in charge of their lives. Rules and court cases.
Already under Sergius, apparently, there was own arable farming - around the monastery there are arable fields, partly they are cultivated by monks, partly by hired peasants, partly by those who want to work for the monastery. So the cellar has a lot of worries.
One of the first cells of the Lavra was St. Nikon, later abbot.
The most experienced in spiritual life were appointed as confessors. He is the confessor of the brethren. , the founder of the monastery near Zvenigorod, was one of the first confessors. Later, Epiphanius, the biographer of Sergius, received this position.
The ecclesiarch supervised the order in the church. Lesser positions: paraecclesiarch - kept the church clean, canonarch - led "kliros obedience" and kept liturgical books.
So they lived and worked in the monastery of Sergius, now already glorified, with roads laid to it, where it was possible to stop and stay for a while - whether for ordinary people, or for a prince.
Two metropolitans, both wonderful, fill the age: Peter and Alexy. Hegumen Ratsky Peter, a Volhynian by birth, the first Russian metropolitan, based in the north - first in Vladimir, then in Moscow. Peter the first blessed Moscow. For her, in fact, he laid down his whole life. It is he who travels to the Horde, obtains from Uzbek a protective letter for the clergy, and constantly helps the prince.
Metropolitan Alexy - from the high-ranking, ancient boyars of the city of Chernigov. His fathers and grandfathers shared with the prince the work of managing and defending the state. On the icons they are depicted side by side: Peter, Alexy, in white hoods, faces darkened from time to time, narrow and long, gray beards ... Two tireless creators and workers, two “protectors” and “patrons” of Moscow.
Etc. Sergius under Peter was still a boy, he lived with Alexy for many years in harmony and friendship. But St. Sergius was a hermit and "prayer book", a lover of the forest, silence - his life path different. Is he, from childhood - departed from the malice of this world, to live at court, in Moscow, to rule, sometimes to intrigue, appoint, dismiss, threaten! Metropolitan Alexy often comes to his Lavra - perhaps to rest with a quiet person - from struggle, unrest and politics.
Saint Sergius came into life when the Tatars were already breaking down. The times of Batu, the ruin of Vladimir, Kyiv, the battle of the City - everything is far away. Two processes are going on, the Horde is decomposing, the young Russian state. The horde is crushed, Rus' is united. The Horde has several rivals vying for power. They cut each other, postpone, leave, weakening the strength of the whole. In Russia, on the contrary, it is an ascent.
In the meantime, Mamai advanced in the Horde and became khan. He gathered the entire Volga Horde, hired the Khivans, Yases and Burtases, conspired with the Genoese, the Lithuanian prince Jagello - in the summer he laid his camp at the mouth of the Voronezh River. Jagiello was waiting.
The time is dangerous for Dimitri.
Until now, Sergius has been a quiet hermit, a carpenter, a modest abbot and educator, a saint. Now he faced a difficult task: blessings on the blood. Would Christ bless for a war, even a national one?
St. Sergius of Radonezh blesses D. Donskoy. Kivshenko A.D.
Rus' has gathered
On August 18, Dimitri, with Prince Vladimir of Serpukhov, princes of other regions and governors, arrived at the Lavra. Probably, it was both solemn and deeply serious: Rus' really gathered. Moscow, Vladimir, Suzdal, Serpukhov, Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod, Belozersk, Murom, Pskov with Andrey Olgerdovich - for the first time such forces have been moved. Moved not in vain. Everyone understood this.
The prayer began. During the service, messengers arrived - the war was going on in the Lavra - they reported on the movement of the enemy, warned to hurry. Sergius begged Demetrius to stay for the meal. Here he said to him:
The time has not yet come for you to wear the crown of victory with eternal sleep; but for many, without number, wreaths of martyrdom are woven to your employees.
After the meal, the monk blessed the prince and the whole retinue, sprinkled St. water.
Go, don't be afraid. God will help you.
And, bending down, he whispered in his ear: "You will win."
There is something majestic, with a tragic tinge, in the fact that Sergius gave two hermit monks as assistants to Prince Sergius: Peresvet and Oslyabya. They were warriors in the world and went to the Tatars without helmets, shells - in the form of a schema, with white crosses on monastic clothes. Obviously, this gave the army of Demetrius a sacred crusading appearance.
On the 20th Dimitri was already in Kolomna. On the 26-27th, the Russians crossed the Oka, Ryazan land advanced to the Don. On the 6th of September it was reached. And they hesitated. Whether to wait for the Tatars, whether to cross?
Senior, experienced governors suggested: wait here. Mamai is strong, Lithuania is with him, and Prince Oleg Ryazansky. Demetrius, contrary to the advice, crossed the Don. The way back was cut off, which means everything forward, victory or death.
Sergius these days was also in the highest rise. And in time he sent a letter after the prince: “Go, sir, go ahead, God and the Holy Trinity will help!”
According to legend, Peresvet, long ready for death, jumped out to the call of the Tatar hero, and, having grappled with Chelubey, struck him, he himself fell. A general battle began, on a gigantic front for those times, ten miles away. Sergius correctly said: "Martyr's wreaths are woven for many." A lot of them were woven.
The monk, at these hours, prayed with the brethren in his church. He talked about the course of the battle. He called the fallen and recited prayers for the dead. And in the end he said: "We won."
Rev. Sergius of Radonezh. demise
Sergius of Radonezh came to his Makovitsa as a modest and obscure youth, Bartholomew, and left as a most illustrious elder. Before the monk, there was a forest on Makovitsa, a spring nearby, and bears lived in the wilds in the neighborhood. And when he died, the place stood out sharply from the forests and from Russia. On Makovitsa stood a monastery - the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, one of the four laurels of our country. Forests cleared around, fields appeared, rye, oats, villages. Even under Sergius, a deaf hillock in the forests of Radonezh became a light-attractive for thousands. Sergius of Radonezh founded not only his own monastery and did not act from it alone. There are countless abodes that arose with his blessing, founded by his disciples - and imbued with his spirit.
So, the young man Bartholomew, having retired to the forests on "Makovitsa", turned out to be the founder of a monastery, then monasteries, then monasticism in general in a vast country.
Leaving no scriptures behind him, Sergius allegedly does not teach anything. But he teaches precisely with his whole appearance: to one he is a consolation and refreshment, to another - a mute reproach. Sergius silently teaches the simplest: truth, straightforwardness, masculinity, work, reverence and faith.
